Europe

The Arianespace and ESA-set up independent inquiry commission has disclosed its conclusions on the reasons for the loss of the Vega-C VV22 mission after its launch in French Guiana on Tuesday, 20 December 2022. According to the Commission, after the nominal functioning of the Vega-C first stage P120C and nominal ignition of the second stage (Zefiro 40), a progressive decrease in the chamber pressure 151 seconds after lift-off led to the loss of the mission.

Two Germany NewSpace companies - constellr, a technology company enabling space-based water, temperature and carbon measurement for the agricultural sector, and Exolaunch, a global provider of launch, deployment and in-space logistics services, have announced the signing of the multi-launch agreement (MLA) for constellr’s high precision versatile ecosphere monitoring (HiVE) microsat constellation. 

ESA’s Earth Explorer Biomass satellite has undergone testing to ensure it will survive liftoff and deploy its solar array correctly. Having passed these tests successfully Biomass is closer to its mission in orbit: to deliver new information on our forests and the carbon they store. 

This Space Café WebTalk will feature Maya Glickman-Pariente - CEO, SPACECIALIST, Head of Space Operations, SAS Founder of “My space academy” - in conversation with Torsten Kriening, publisher of SpaceWatch.Global. "The next generation of space operation - do we really need humans in the loop?" As we dive deeper (or fly higher) into the era of satellite constellations, with dozens, and sometimes thousands of satellites operated simultaneously by privately owned companies, we see a wind of change in the SatOps business. This change is inevitable.

An international collaboration involving ESO has submitted a paper to the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) proposing a new Expert Group to protect dark and quiet skies. The paper underwent discussion at the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee (STSC) of COPUOS under a special agenda item on Dark and Quiet skies.

UNIO, a European LEO satellite operator space start-up, has appointed Katrin Bacic as their new CEO. Previously Bacic was Managing Director and Chief Strategy Officer at Wayra Germany, the innovation and investment unit of telecommunications group Telefónica from 2018 to 2023. Christian Lindener had led UNIO as interim CEO since its founding who will now focus on developing the European business of US venture builder Mach49 as its partner. 

The Small Satellites & Services International Forum (SSSIF) congress concluded yesterday in Malaga, Spain, after three days in which experts from the space sector gathered to discuss and reflect on the innovation of the international space sector, the present challenges and the future needs of small satellites. 

Intelsat has announced that Deutsche Telekom IoT (DT IoT) intends to integrate Intelsat FlexEnterprise into its cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) offering to extend powerful, easy-to-use IoT solutions to locations regardless of the availability of fiber or cellular connectivity options.

In the Eighth episode of Space Café Israel, Meidad Pariente is in conversation with Alice Miller. Can you share something personal that isn’t written in your LinkedIn profile? Wow. Usually what you don't want people to know you don't write on your LinkedIn page. But I think one thing which is very, very dear to me, which is a very big part of my life, is lying under the stars.

International Women's Day 2023 - Space Café Summit - Women and Space: The view in 2023. On the 8th of March at 4 pm CET, on the occasion of International Women's Day, SpaceWatch.Global will hold a special Space Café summit fully dedicated to women in the space industry. Dr. Emma Gatti, SpaceWatch.Global's Editor-in-Chief, will interview Sumaya Al Hajeri, Technology Expert - UAE, Maya Glickman-Pariente, Spacecialist - Israel, Jennifer Manner, EchoStar - USA, Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, ORF - India, Jenni Tapio, ESA - Finland